Update :: Continuing the quests... WT, Patreon, and CHRISTMAS !! :-)

I was busy with my emails again... and the links that lead to social media... and then social media... and then, suddenly, I remembered it was THURSDAY !!     :-)

One of my sons became my first Patreon supporter the other day.  On my end, it is a way to see how the Patreon system works with real people...  there is so much to learn about all the online connections and how to reach your goals with them.

In questions of Faith, and how GOD works in the middle of all our problems and desires, it is still a one day at a time plan, the only reality we can do.

I didn't get to my prayer journals today... I don't think.  Sometimes that happens... I get to them as soon as I can.  Prayers are not always an immediate topic.  I try to make a note of the time and date when I enter a late prayer, so I know it was a long day and busy.

I just shared (today) on Toby Mac's regular weekly Facebook post for audience prayer needs about how my journals have changed my life, and what they can mean to other Christians.  I hope others will try it.  I added my prayer needs at the bottom.

Prayer has always been a hard topic to deal with.  There are a lot of different view on it... and we all want GOD to give us what we pray for.  When He doesn't... it creates a theology problem.

I was busy with food today... I got to go to the grocery store, then had to decide what to do with what I bought.  I started keeping track of how many times I go to the store for food.  I want to go weekly, to certain stores throughout the month.  My food budget is government food benefits.  I have been trying to decide the best way to shop, store, and eat food within this very tight budget.  

Time just gets away from us.

I have problems I am working to overcome.

The battle between what I WANT to do and what I actually get done seems like a constant war.  Progress gets made, but in very tiny steps.

Working on CHRISTMAS is taking over my days, sometimes my nights.  I have been working on how to keep track of what I do, and deadlines for things.  I can only do my part.  GOD has to do His part.  What the results are reflect His Plan and Purpose for this time and place.

We all create the future... our choices, our actions, our opposition, our problems, our supporters, our goals, our failures, our faith....  it all leads to the bigger future.

I think my efforts to make paper mache items will be worth the effort. I am making them thick, and looking for my sanding paper supplies.  Once they are smooth, I will head into a primer layer then figure out some kind of design.  I am trying a "vase" and a bowl shape... plus some bracelet options.  I think smooth will be the critical issue with bracelets.  Then design.

My son has been sending me photos in emails.  Today they were like a blog on how to refurbish a wheelbarrow.  Inspired me to get better at my blogging.

So, for today, that is about it.

Sign up with my Patreon page, if you can.  Only $5.  That is the goal. 

You can do more if you want to, but the goal for 2020 is ONE MILLION supporters at the $5 level.  Think about it.  Thanks.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

Thursday 2 July - Thoughts on Prayer and Christmas

I started my daily  PRAYER  JOURNALING  on the first of the month.  Before I started I was thinking about what I might pray about in words on a page.  I finally watched WAR ROOM in mid June, and was impressed with the issues that were explored with the film... and wondered if I would ever do that kind of praying.  Instead, I decided more journaling would be good for me.

The amount of writing space for the Presidential Prayer Team (.org)  Quarterly Journal is not much, which is good.  If you take a piece of copy paper and fold it in half on the long side, you have the size of a small book... that is the size of their Journal.  Each page has half of the space lined for a short prayer.  The rest of it is words about other things, historical facts, the names of people in government being highlighted, etc.  

As I get into the process of repeated prayer, I am guessing my focus will change from America to some of the details they provide.  Maybe.  I am doing this because I am very concerned about my country, and about the rest of the world.  America impacts the globe, in one way or another.  So do it's Christians, through their charitable projects.

Since I will be writing a short prayer about my nation, I decided to add some prayers to the small personal journal I have (and didn't enter but ONE prayer when I started it.  I am praying for my children every day.  I sometimes add a prayer for myself.  And will be praying for other things as they come up.  In my personal journal I can go on as long as I want to... Sometimes I do that.  It will depend on the needs of the day.

Over my life I have heard sermons about Prayer Journals, and tried to do them several times.  It just didn't work well with my life.  I hope this time will be different.  I will keep you posted about my progress.   :-)   

Since this is an IMPORTANT election year, maybe you should start a daily journal for America, too.  We need some big change in how things are done.

=====

I am already starting on my CHRISTMAS activities.

I was working on my budget and trying to figure out how to save enough money for holiday giving. I eventually moved some of the Christmas donations to JULY and AUGUST instead of starting in September.  This is proving to be a really great decision.  I already made my donations for the month and now am trying not to spend  A L L  my money on giving.  I so would love to give to a LONG list of groups and ministries, but I can't.  

I'm working on ways to give to as many as I can, and as much as I can, each month.

Holiday commitments to give are not the only money issues at Christmas.  I am also working on my GIFTING list... kids, family, sending Christmas cards, and what I absolutely have to have CASH for.  :-)  Last month I already decided to MAKE as many gifts this year as I can.  This is going to be a challenge, too!

=====

I made some new designs for MUGS because I am doing a yearly project at my ETSY shop... trying to figure out monthly discounts.  I am now to the place where putting ONE ITEM on sale every month is working.  So far, I am designing a NEW MUG for the discount. 

Last month it was my Political Correctness theme.  This month it is ELECTION 2020.

The photo is the 15oz size, which is great for designs, for tea, for desk planters, and pen holders.  It's too big for me to drink coffee in, but I see a lot of people with larger cups of coffee!  (There's an 11oz size I think is better for coffee... but not as good for all the other things.  :-)  

I also put my CHOICES design on a mug!  With a new statement about the effects of our choices on the other side of the mug.

I can't get them to go on the same line right now... I will try to learn that.

I'm working on ways to use the tools I have access to.  The images on the computer screen don't always work on the products.

I also am trying to learn fonts and sizes and alterations to the fonts and colors and shadows...

This isn't the first photo I have tried to put on a mug, but it is the best one I have tried to use so far.

As my design options improve, so will my creations.

I keep saying, If I live long enough...   and that is probably true.  I will just keep going, get a good lawyer as soon as I can, make a great will so all my efforts go to good places, and trust that GOD is able to be in charge of things.

These are the choices I have right now.  If they change, maybe the results will be even better!  





The other design I created that day is this one...

I bet you can click on the photo to see it larger...

I am focusing on the need for every citizen to vote.  We are not a free nation led by the choices of its citizens if we do not vote.

There are no voting options without problems.  Our conversations become about things that take away from the really important issues we face as a nation because it keeps the real needs covered. 


We have to find a way to make our government become what it should have been all the time.

It needs to become a reflection of the people... not a resource for greed and harm, manipulation, power, evil.

There are posts all over social media about the morals of our leaders... how they make us a great country or a country that is near extinction.

Below is one I made with a Bible verse reference.

VOTING  is how we choose godly men and women leaders who will honor what is right.  It is our responsibility to our nation, to our families, to our GOD.

We can't choose the morality of our bosses, our family, our neighbors, but we can VOTE for our leaders and say who we think needs to be above us in authority.  We may not win, but we must let our choices be known.

This is why AMERICA has been great... what so many other countries in the world do not have.

I hope you won't waste the blessing GOD has given to us.  We lead the world, and we need good people in charge of our country.


It looks like the election is getting heated now... we are trying to get back to "normal" after such a long  VIRUS CRISIS.  Not much time left to campaign so it is probably going to be a very long summer and fall.  

=====

I see I am finding ways to make my posts more creative.  This is good.  :-)   I am trying to do this... just learning how!

I hope you have a safe and happy INDEPENDENCE DAY... think about America, what we need, who can keep their promises (as far as it is in their control),  and how you might VOTE in November.

A M E R I C A   N E E D S   Y O U !!!

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us
and more...